I am in good humor and figure I am all set to go and the rug gets pulled out from under me. Literally, the booth carpet is not at the booth. So I make my way to the service desk only about a 30 minute walk dodging freight and forklifts!

My customer service rep is a bit out of sorts yelling into a radio, and she is multi-tasking, writing me notes to tell me, that the copy of my handwritten order does not have a receipt stamp on it and therefore, I have to reorder it on the show floor! Not good! With a cringe at how much I am paying for padding and carpet to survive the concrete floor for the next 5 days I am losing my good mood. With the grumble of the customer service rep she manages, “if we find the order” we will reimburse you.

In my mind I am thinking, just breath, don’t want to start the show on a bad note,
I will sort it out before tear-down.

As I walk up to the booth, 2 labor guys are waiting for me as the show hall is over ½ a mile from booth to service desk, they have a cart and a radio. The guys are both well over 6’ and there are 2 – there you have it, rolls sitting waiting to be laid with just a little signature.

I set myself up and get comfortable to await the carpet installation, I perch myself on a crate. All is well and back on schedule.

As the guy kicks the roll to unfurl the carpet – there it is!!!! An R.O.U.S.! (Princess Bride Term for Rodent of Unusual Size)!

He is not happy and fluffed from being rolled around; stunned and unable to run I swear the thing was hissing and fluffed like a cat, and about the same size. He was a RAT not a mouse a RAT!

Where are my big burly labor guys? Up on the crate with me; we are all three standing on a crate that should not have anyone standing on it, trying to hold our balance, in hopes the thing doesn’t cave in!

We are all silent after the initial screams (yes all of us), holding our breath until the thing shakes it off and casually wanders off down the middle of the aisle. Self-satisfied of ruling over the humans, he casually saunters off, all the while setting off booth after booth of staff onto chairs, crates, or just flat-out running or trying to hide behind each other. It looked like Godzilla had hit the show floor!

I had the creeps the whole show, and was so hesitant to open any of the booth doors for fear of Cujo of the Rat world would be jumping out!

As the gypsy goes – I would have needed a lion to take that sucker out, a TSG-cat would have been eaten!